Process control systems, like those used in chemical, petroleum or other processes, typically include one or more process controllers and input/output (I/O) devices communicatively coupled to at least one host or operator workstation and to one or more field devices via analog, digital or combined analog/digital buses. The field devices, which may be, for example, valves, valve positioners, switches and transmitters (e.g., temperature, pressure and flow rate sensors), perform functions within the process such as opening or closing valves and measuring process parameters. The process controllers receive signals indicative of process measurements made by the field devices and/or other information pertaining to the field devices, use this information to implement a control routine via a control module, and then generate control signals that are sent over the buses or other communication lines to the field devices to control the operation of the process. In this manner, the process controllers may execute and coordinate control strategies using the field devices via the buses and/or other communication links communicatively coupling the field devices.
Process control systems are often configured to perform processes in accordance with control modules to produce products. Product designers or engineers prepare control modules during a design time and store the control modules to be used subsequently a plurality of times by a process control system. A control module typically includes configuration information to control process equipment (e.g., tanks, vats, mixers, boilers, evaporators, pumps, valves, etc.) to transfer, mix, etc. ingredients in a process control system to perform a process. To enable operation of a process control system, equipment or devices (e.g., pumps, valves, mixers, boilers, sensors, etc.) of the process control system must also be configured. Recipes and equipment configuration information associated with those recipes can be updated or revised many times as a process recipe changes and/or as equipment or devices in a process control system change. Whenever a change is made, a user must ensure that the change is made with a correct, valid value and must ensure that the change is properly made in every place the control module or configuration information is referenced.